Foreign investors ditch India's pricey stocks, opt for new issues
By Patturaja Murugaboopathy and Gaurav Dogra
Aug 27 (Reuters) -Foreign investors are unloading their holdings of expensive Indian stocks and turning instead to new listings in primary markets as they seek cheaper exposure to the market and better returns.
Their selling has been driven by profit booking as Indian stocks .NSEI trade at record highs, and at valuations topping those of most major stock markets.
Investors are pumping money instead into initial public offerings (IPOs), whose valuations are lower and where there is less of a scramble for stocks.
Foreigners have so far sold a net $3.42 billion worth of equities in the secondary market. They purchased a net $1.47 billion through primary market issuances so far this month, according to India's Central Depository Services Ltd.
A Societe Generale (SG) report showed foreigners have bought more than $6 billion of stocks on the primary market this year, the highest since 2021.
"Foreign investors are shying from deploying funds into secondary market for long term and seeing better and faster return prospects in the primary market," said Rajat Agarwal, Asia equity strategist at SG.
They are sellers in the secondary market this year partly because earnings growth prospects have moderated, he said.
India's NSE Nifty 50 index .NSEI has risen 14% this year, and the 12-month price-to-earnings ratio for its large-and-mid cap stocks stands at 24 times, the highest among major global markets, according to LSEG data.
Meanwhile, the Indian primary market has been busy, with IPO listings of $7.3 billion so far this year - the highest in Asia, followed by China's $5.1 billion, according to Dealogic data.
Foreigners are lured by the cheapness of stocks in primary markets.
Jon Withaar, head of Asia Special Situations, Pictet Asset Management, said the valuations tend to be lower in primary markets due to lack of competition from retail, index, ETFs and most types of institutional investors.
"Companies offering IPOs or rights issues tend to price their shares conservatively to ensure a successful launch and attract more investor interest," said Michael Collins, chief executive officer of WinCap Financial.
"This lower valuation may also be seen as an opportunity for foreign investors who believe that these companies have potential for significant growth in the long run".
With the Fed poised to lower interest rates and investors looking to enter riskier markets for higher returns, analysts expect foreigners will continue to use this route to own Indian stocks.
Foreign flows into Indian equity markets in August https://reut.rs/3APQ47a
India leads Asian IPO volumes this year https://reut.rs/4cFB1KD
Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Shri Navaratnam
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
